Sockeye Salmon

sockeye salmon

The species Oncorhynchus nerka, which is generally smaller and is uniquely adapted to rearing in interior lakes rather than streams or rivers. Also known as red salmon.

Sockeye Salmon

(Oncorhynchus nerka), also red salmon or blueback salmon, a migratory or freshwater fish of the genus of Pacific salmon. It is characterized by numerous gill rakers (28–40) and its bright red coloration during reproduction. The sockeye salmon is 55–60 cm long and weighs 2.2–3 kg. It enters the rivers of Kamchatka from May through late July. It spawns from late summer until midwinter near sources of groundwater, most often in lakes and near springs. The sockeye salmon buries its roe in gravelly bottoms. The fry live in lakes a year or longer and feed predominantly on plankton. In the sea, sockeye salmon feed on invertebrates and small fish. The flesh and roe are valuable.

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